Smeed launches Somerset into residence quarter-final
Somerset 187 for six (Smeed 78) beat Gloucestershire 186 for 8 (Roelofsen 52, Taylor 42*) by 4 wickets
Will Smeed proved the scourge of Gloucestershire for the second time this season as Somerset assured themselves a house quarter-final within the Vitality Blast with a four-wicket win over their neighbours at Taunton.
The guests did nicely to recuperate from 9 for 3 after shedding the toss to submit 186 for eight, Grant Roelofsen top-scoring with 52, whereas Jack Taylor (41 not out) and Graeme van Buuren (36) made vital contributions. Matt Henry was the decide of the Somerset assault with 2 for 28.
Somerset’s reply of 187 for six in 19.3 overs was dominated by opener Smeed, who adopted up his 94 within the corresponding South Group recreation at Bristol, by blitzing 78 off 42 balls, with 5 sixes and 7 fours.
Ben Green (37) and Kasey Aldridge (32 not out) clinched victory with a sixth-wicket stand of 48 because the group leaders made it ten wins from 12 video games, guaranteeing a high two end as their closest pursuers, Surrey and Essex nonetheless should play one another.
It appeared Gloucestershire would wish a superb begin to stand a practical probability of springing a shock and so they obtained precisely the alternative, shedding Miles Hammond and Ben Charlesworth in Henry’s first over, the second of the sport.
When Craig Overton had Ben Wells caught behind off a lifter, Gloucestershire have been in disarray. James Bracey hit a fast 17, together with a scooped six off Overton, however he by some means contrived to sky a catch to level off what would have been a leg-side vast from Josh Davey and on the finish of the six-over energy play, the scoreboard learn 44 for 4.
Roelofson and van Buuren then produced a wonderful stand of 71 in 6.2 overs to revive Gloucestershire fortunes. The eleventh over, bowled by the main wicket-taker within the competitors, Green, went for 20 as Roelofsen struck sixes over mid-wicket and sq. leg.
Offspinner Shoaib Bashir, making his residence debut for Somerset, bowled van Buuren, who had hit two sixes and 4 fours, with a ball that turned, however Roelofsen went to fifty off 36 balls earlier than being run out by Tom Abell’s direct hit on the bowler’s finish trying a single to further cowl.
Dale Benkenstein, Gloucestershire’s head coach, advised that Somerset ought to have recalled Roelofsen after he collided with Henry. “I didn’t think it was a fair dismissal,” he stated. “I hold Tom Abell in very high regard and respect him as a cricketer, but I felt it was a very poor decision not to recall Grant.
“Their argument is that he ought to have run across the bowler and so they have been inside their rights to enchantment. But had the bowler not been there, Grant would have made his floor and I do not assume it was honest cricket.”
David Payne was also run out, at the non-striker’s end, by some sharp fielding off his own bowling by Green, but Taylor began to enjoy himself, clearing the ropes off Green before being caught at third-man off a Henry no-ball.
The reprieve saw Taylor hit a second six, off Henry, and Josh Shaw also managed a maximum off Davey, who responded by bowling the last over of the innings for just three runs.
Shaw began the Somerset innings with a wicket-maiden, having Tom Banton caught behind off his second ball. But Smeed retaliated with a six and a four off the second over, sent down by Payne.
Smeed then hit Ajeet Dale over midwicket onto the top floor of the flats as 17 came off the third over. But Payne hit back in the next, Tom Kohler-Cadmore skying to mid-on where Gloucestershire skipper Hammond pouched a comfortable catch.
Abell was bowled attempting to scoop a full ball from Zaman Akhter and Somerset reached the end of the powerplay on 53 for 3, Smeed having effortlessly lifted another six over midwicket off Shaw.
Akhter then yorked Sean Dickson before Smeed went to a 26-ball fifty that thrilled another packed Cooper Associates County Ground crowd. His brilliant exhibition ended in the 13th over when he miscued a pull shot off Dale to van Buuren at long-on.
Green smacked a straight six off van Buuren’s left-arm spin as the 14th over went for 16, then cleared the extra cover boundary rope off Shaw. Aldridge provided excellent support and 27 were needed off the last three overs.
Green fell to a catch at short fine leg off Dale. But Craig Overton’s six over midwicket and straight four off Akhter left Somerset requiring eight off the last over, bowled by van Buuren.
An Aldridge 4 over further cowl was sandwiched between a brace of twos and sealed the deal to the delight of residence supporters.